October 30th, 2018. I packed my car, said my goodbyes, and left home- Milwaukee, WI. After 3 hotels, countless of scenic stops, & a 30 hour drive across the country- I had arrived. At last, the City of Dreams…
The Assignment
Agency: American Mobile Healthcare
Hospital: Providence Little Company of Mary Torrance
Floor: Telemetry/Oncology, 56 beds
Duration: 13 weeks
Shift: Nights
Landing the Gig
Choosing an agency to work for can be a bit overwhelming as a new traveler considering there are 350+ (& growing) agencies within the United States. For my first assignment, I was recommended a pair of recruiters from American Mobile Healthcare (AMN) through an RN I worked with at my permanent job back home. We chatted over phone/email & I voiced my preferences in location, work setting, and pay package details. Within 2 weeks my two job share recruiters helped me land my first contract in Torrance, California!
Orientation & the Floor
Week 1: Orientation
Monday: Hospital Modules (2.5 hours)
Tuesday: Off
Wednesday: Safe Patient Handling (3.5 hours)
Thursday: Previous experience EPIC computer training (4 hours)
Friday & Saturday: On the floor with preceptor (12 hour shifts)
Sunday: Off
Weeks 2-13: Working on my own!
What I enjoyed:
- Great team environment, other staff was friendly & willing to help when able
- Uninterrupted 30 minute lunch break, patients covered by designated lunch break RN
- Patient ratios: 4 telemetry patients or 4-5 medical/surgical patients
- Manager fairly flexible with schedule, took requests every 6 weeks
Differences new to me:
-Multiple shared patient rooms, difficult to navigate at times
-Required to take pictures of all patient wounds on admission & every Wednesday
-RNs had to pick up admitted patients from Emergency Department
Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a better assignment as a new Travel RN. The other staff was welcoming & created a supportive work environment, the hospital allowed me to practice safely, & I gained a fresh perspective on how another system operates through their policies/procedures. Who knows- maybe I’ll go back!
As far as the agency I worked through goes, I was less than satisfied with the communication with my recruiters throughout my assignment. For that reason I am working with a new agency- Atlas Medstaff, and found an amazing recruiter- Sydney Lamberty. Feel free to reach out to her at slamberty@atlasmedstaff.com & let her know I sent you! It’s never to early to start asking questions & planning for a travel contract.
Home Sweet Home
Choosing where to live in a city you’ve never been to before can be a bit of a whirlwind. Thankfully, I landed amazing housing a month before I made the move to California. Using VRBO.com, I found a 2 bedroom apartment, 1 block from the sand in Hermosa Beach, CA- the city next to Torrance. To my luck, another travel RN posted in Travel Nurse Housing on Facebook that she was looking for housing in the same city, for the same exact dates- what are the odds?! I reached out & the rest is history. Lauren: my night shift twin, coffee & beach strolling bud, Hawkeyes lover, pizza (…and boy) obsessed gal, & now great friend, was the perfect roomie to spend my first assignment away from home with!
Hermosa Beach
#BestLittleBeachCity
“You’re living in Hermosa Beach? Aren’t you lucky!” I heard this all too often during my time in SoCal. On the Southwest shore of Los Angeles County, this popular beach city is notorious for national surf & volleyball competitions, a plentiful variety of restaurants/bars & unique little shops, & friendly, down-to-earth, neighbors.
Top Experiences
The Strand
Paved path alongside the beach perfect for walking, running, skateboarding, & biking! On the weekends the strand is busy with cruisers and beach goers, making it truly feel like such a special place to live. Rent bikes, skates, & other gear hourly or daily from Hermosa Cyclery & ride along several spectacular beaches all the way to Santa Monica!
Sunsets
There’s nothing like watching the sun disappear into the Pacific ocean. Everyday the beach & pier is filled with a diverse crowd, acknowledging the same beautiful, setting symbol; we all were blessed with another day.
Comedy & Magic Club
Love stand up comedy & magic? I certainly do! While living here I visited this local treasure 4 times, including to see comedian & actor, David Spade. Other famous comedians who have performed here include: Jay Leno (performs many Sunday’s), Adam Sandler, Bob Saget, Robin Williams, Gabriel Iglesias, Sarah Silverman, Jerry Seinfeld, Ray Romano, Daniel Tosh & more.
On weekends, the shows consist of 10, hilarious, stand up acts!
Get your tickets for a show, now!
Big Ten Bar Crawl
We joined in on the 12th annual Big Ten Pub Crawl on championship gameday, visiting 14 participating bars with fellow Wisconsin fans/alumni. Each bar represented a designated “home team,” & had their specialty drink. Underground Pub & Grill was the “UW,” Bar and the drink was the “Rose Bowl”. Mid crawl, Ryan, my boyfriend, competed in the “Bed Post to Post Dash,” on the beach, & won a memory foam mattress!
Christmas/New Years
There might not be snow in Hermosa, but the sand, decorations, & festivities definitely suffice. In December, large sand mounds are built for sledding & a large Christmas tree centers the middle of The Strand. In the city directly north, Manhattan Beach, a fireworks show off the pier & concert took place for their city’s tree lighting. On New Year’s, I rang in 2019 celebrating with fellow travel RN’s & we ran to Hermosa Pier to watch the “Beach Ball,” drop!
Saved by the 90s
Born in 1994, I’d never miss an opportunity to relive the era that musically raised me. Nynsc. Britney Spears. Backstreet Boys. Green Day. Third Eye Blind. Spice Girls. No Doubt. Singing & dancing along to the cover band “Saved By the 90s,” was a blast from the past night of fun spent with my travel RN friends! Check out upcoming shows at Sainte Rocke, here!
On Set in Hermosa Beach
Los Angeles is known as the home of the entertainment industry including many sets of movies and television shows. While living in Hermosa, Warner Bros. was filiming for the show “Veronica Mars,” starring Kristen Bell. Insider sneak peak: Residents of Hermosa were notified of filming with “controlled pyrotechnics.” Walking past the set, it appeared to be a bomb scene at a local motel on The Strand! Other movies/shows with scenes in Hermosa Beach include: La La Land, Carrie, Beverly Hills: 90210, Rough Night, Summerland, & many more.
Favorite Food/Bars in the Area
Henneseys, Tower 12, Abigaile, Hermosa Beach Brewery, Barnacles, Laurel Tavern, Zane’s, Silvio’s Brazilian BBQ, Underground Pub & Grill, Baked Bear, Paradis, Paisanos, Java Man, Cafe Bonaparte, La Playita, Martha’s 22nd Street Grill, The Strand House, Shellback Tavern, Uncle Bill’s Pancake House, Simmzy’s, The Rockefeller, Patrick Molloy’s Sports Pub
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